Atlanta Falcons: Birds Embarrassed by Panthers
One of Worst Losses in Smith Era
No Falcon in Sight (Chuck Burton)
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It’s hard to know where to start on this one. To be blunt, this was one of the worst losses in the entire time that Mike Smith has been head coach. This team has serious problems and they just proved to all the doubters and skeptics that they may be right after all. The Falcons may not always win while under Smith’s reign, but they usually always play hard and fight until the end. Well, that appeared not to happen on Sunday in Charlotte. The Falcons were not only beaten, but flat out embarrassed. Fans likely started getting that same sick feeling in the back of their throats the way they did the last two years in the playoffs, because that’s how bad they looked. A look at the horror show that was:
Offense Just Pitiful
One Bright Spot (Chuck Burton)
15 yards in the first quarter. 40 total yards in the first half. Michael Turner 2 carries for 3 yards. Do those stats strike you as a team ready to make waves in the postseason? Sure, they turned it on when they decided to start playing, but by that point it was entirely too late. When they were well behind, they decided to start playing a little offense and looked pretty good in the no-huddle which bogged back down when they needed points. The running game was non-existent, the line was horrible, and Matt Ryan was off yet again. Most of us tried to chalk up the poor offensive game vs. the Saints as just a blip, but they actually looked worse against the Panthers.
Rodgers Should Get Bulk of Carries
That’s putting it nicely. The fact has long been that Jacquizz Rodgers has shown way more upside and the ability to carry the bulk of carries in the backfield. All Falcons fans appreciate what Michael Turner has done for this franchise and he’ll likely have a banner hung in his name when it’s all said and done, but he’s just not getting it done. It’s hard to part with players who have meant so much to the franchise, but the time has come. Mike Smith obviously hasn’t got that memo. The entire offense played terrible so it’s unfair to scapegoat just one player, but Jacquizz Rodgers is just better and the facts don’t lie. Rodgers had 21 yards on 4 carries and Michael Turner carried the ball 7 times for 14 yards.
Just a Blip or Playoff Preview?
Yuck (Chuck Burton)
This game had trap written all over it. The Falcons clinched the NFC South and were playing a 3-9 team with the Giants coming up next week. Fans are trying their best to chalk it up as just a blip, but there’s a growing fear that we’re starting to see an eerily similar storyline. In 2010, the Falcons won a lot of close games en route to a 13-3 season and the NFC #1 seed. The rest, of course, is history seeing the Birds have a complete meltdown catastrophe vs. the Packers. Being completely objective, the Falcons are still 11-2, have already won their division, and are still leading the NFC, but the nightmare scenarios are getting worse and not better with the Falcons seemingly playing their best football at the beginning of the season and playing their worst football closer to the playoffs. There’s still 3 games left and all 3 teams will be good tests for the playoffs. This one can be chalked up to a trap game, but we’ll know everything we need to about this team the next three weeks, starting with the Giants at home in a one week.
Ryan is Trending Downward
Yes, he threw for 325 yards and one touchdown, but he also does not look the same quarterback that he did in the first half of the season. He missed throws, looked jittery in the pocket, and just didn’t seem to be in a good rhythm. Maybe it’s playing behind a weak offensive line, maybe he’s suffering from a weak running game, or maybe his coordinator is not helping him at all. Who knows why, but the results say that Ryan is going in the opposite direction. He looks the most comfortable in an open, no-huddle type offense, but for whatever reason, the coaching staff seems to avoid it except when they are 23 points down. Here’s to hoping Ryan gets it figured out and quickly.
Defensive Line Must Improve
It’s been common knowledge that John Abraham has been the Falcons only pass rush for a long time. Problem is, when he’s not completely on his game, the Falcons have nothing else. Biermann has great hustle, but is more of a linebacker playing as a defensive end. No one has taken advantage of Ray Edwards absence whatsoever. In particular, the defensive tackle position appears particularly weak. Peria Jerry has never turned that mythical corner, Corey Peters is likely not 100%, Vance Walker is a good rotational player, and Jonathan Babineaux is playing more defensive end and on the downside of his career. The Falcons were gashed by the run yet again and it allowed Cam Newton be precise in his passing. All considering, the defense did pretty decent since the offense didn’t help whatsoever until entirely too late.
Where’s the No-Huddle?
This is Done (Chuck Burton)
Matt Ryan always does best in an open, no-huddle type of offense. If you think about some of Ryan’s best games, they have come from those type of gameplans going all the way back to the Ravens game in 2010. This offense is more in sync, has more rhythm, and it masks some of the weaknesses on the offensive line. The Falcons were at their best early in the season with many of the no-huddle type of looks and yet they are going away from it with diminishing results. Even the run game seems more productive in the no-huddle. Do they have to stay in all the time? No, but why not go with what works best. They only implemented it when they were down 23 points and, sure enough, they went right down the field. The great mystery remains.
Bad Calls
This may come off as sour grapes and ultimately it likely didn’t matter with how poor the Falcons played, but there were several questionable calls at a very critical juncture in the game. The first was one of the worst calls of the entire season. The Falcons scored a touchdown and converted a two point conversion. Even the line judge ruled the 2 point conversion good and was evidently overruled. The ref said that Roddy White bobbled the ball, but the replay clearly showed he never bobbled the ball whatsoever. It was only two points, but it seemed to cut down some of the Falcons building momentum. Another play showed a critical catch by a Panthers receiver who appeared to drop the ball, the play was ruled incomplete, but the refs overturned that call. Finally, Dunta Robinson was called for holding a play where the defense seemed to get a stop. He was holding and it was the right call, but there were tons of times when Julio Jones, Tony Gonzalez, and John Abraham were being held to no avail.
Tackling Still an Issue
Weak Tackling (Chuck Burton)
This is an issue that was supposed to get fixed earlier in the season, but the Falcons are still having issues bringing down their opponents. Corey Peters couldn’t bring down Cam Newton for a sack (but also got no help at all either) and there were several other instances where the Panthers running back or quarterback got extra yards after the first hit. At best, they’re simply inconsistent. Some weeks they’ll tackle well and others, they won’t. If they don’t get it fixed in a hurry, they won’t be going far in the playoffs.
Bird Cage Painkillers Turn
1) Simple missed tackle – how awful was this game?
2) Does this rank as one of the worst under Smith?
3) Is it panic time with the offense?
4) What’s most to blame on offense (besides the OL)?
5) When will the Turner Era end? Should it end?
6) Was this just a blip or playoff preview?
7) What is wrong with Matt Ryan?
8.) Which is worse: offensive or defensive line?
9) Why do the coaches refuse to run no-huddle, open attack?
10) Bad calls or sour grapes?
11) Will tackling ever get consistent?
12) Are you terrified of upcoming Giants game?
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1,438 comments Add your comment
Wings
December 10th, 2012
2:04 pm
All F’s by DLED for every phase.
http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-falcons-blog/2012/12/10/report-card-falcons-grades-for-loss-to-chatty-panthers/?cp=1#comment-194026
LRD
December 10th, 2012
2:12 pm
One thing about the Giants game.. Julio can catch a pass for 7yds and break the 1000yd mark for the year… HA
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL THE TRUTH
December 10th, 2012
2:15 pm
You all can sit around and debate the short comings of our team as much as you like…TRUTH hurts sometimes. IMHO, Smith is entering a crutual stage in his coaching career. Percentages show that successful coaches make it to the playoffs, win in the playoffs…win the Superbowl in the 3rd-4th year as head coach.
We’re 11-2, I’m glad of it….another post season birth. I don’t know quite how it will turn out, that’s why they play the game. If Smith doesn’t do something miraculous, say, win the Super Bowl this year, when will the vets start tuning him out? stop buying into his system/philosphies?
Only so many times you can tell the Owner, GM, Players…and fans that things need to be corrected, fixed, each week without any concrete evidence it’s happened.
When will the vets and others start tuning him out? Is it happening already? Roddy is always out spoken, but we’ve heard some rumblings from Tony G. last couple of weeks, McClure has also been very vocal this season as well.
We have evolved (especially on offense) from the team that Smith inherited some years ago. He (Smith) is strangely stuck in 2007-2008 NFL. The NFL was gradually changing to a pass first leauge, IMO, he hasn’t adapted as quickly as other head coaches, Tom Coughlin being one that has. If T. Coughlin saw the light, what will it take for Smith. IMO, I think he will never completely conform. TD, a brilliant GM (debatable), saw the writings on the wall and drafted what we needed to compete in the leaugue, but Smith, still holding on to the ground and pound, this would be better known as the dreaded “Disconnect Theory” of one of our esteem cage members SW take on things. I think there’s strong merit in SW’s theories.
Now, I’m not advocating for Smiths dismisal because of his short comings as the Falcons head Coach, He’s only coaching the way he knows how, it’s not entirely his and Dirk Koetters fault they can’t find away to use the plethora of talent we have on the offensive of the ball, hell, theirs not many in the leauge that can, but their are some Sean Payton, Patriots Josh McDaniels/Belichick, Andy Reid etc..
I’ll just sit back and watch how this season…and Mike Smiths future with this franchise continue to take shape.
Chop Buster
December 10th, 2012
2:24 pm
Time is Now…I went back and it is completely gone from the blogs section. I don’t know what the AJC is doing.
The Time is NOW
December 10th, 2012
2:26 pm
Big Ray (8:33 am) – “The Script” …I like it.
The Time is NOW
December 10th, 2012
2:27 pm
Chop Buster – I sent a comment to the AJC about it from Arno’s link on the previous page. Would probably be good if they got a lot of comments.
Chop Buster
December 10th, 2012
2:33 pm
Time is Now – okay, I will do that as well.
Wings – The coaching staff more than anyone deserves a big fat F for their game plan yesterday. They had no answer to Cam in the first game and proved they didn’t again yesterday. Running QBs running the option is a new phenomena that teams haven’t shut down before. Maybe I’m being too simplistic, but how hard is it for one defender (say Spoon) take the RB and Biermann take the QB and blow both up everytime they run the option. If we can’t get this problem solved we sure don’t want to face RG3 or Kap from the 49ers who both run the option.
Chop Buster
December 10th, 2012
2:35 pm
Smitty is on 790 the zone right now giving his normal Parrot talk for what went wrong.
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL THE TRUTH
December 10th, 2012
2:35 pm
Smiths been fixing the same problems with this team for at least 3 years. There’s only so many times the same individual can teach methods to the same group of individuals, wihout seeing results. Sooner, or later, the teachings will start to fall on def ears.
We all know Roddy is out-spoken, but we’re beginning to hear some rumblings from Tony G, McClure has been more vociferous this season as well. Are the players (more-so offensive) totally bought into Mike Smiths offensive philosphy?
The Time is NOW
December 10th, 2012
2:35 pm
Wings (8:45 am) – Amen! Truth.
I think the first Turner drive against NO delayed the inevitable. Please let this be the time that Quizz is given an opportunity to thrive. I am also disappointed in our use (or lack thereof) of Snelling. If he doesn’t cut it anymore, get rid of him. They’re paying him decent money and he’s experienced. If he is not capable of stepping up now, why not develop someone who can fit a short term need (like return man) and has more upside.
LRD
December 10th, 2012
2:38 pm
I just hope Nolan sits down the D and goes thru basic tackling procedures. How many miffed tackles yesterday? How many times have we seen this year of chances to end a play in the backfield and miffed tackle ends up being a first down or more?
Is it the lack of contact in the weekly practices? Is it bad technique? Is it bad coaching?
But , master of obvious here… we have to tackle better.
The Time is NOW
December 10th, 2012
2:42 pm
Big Ray (8:55 am) – You are exactly right. Nonetheless, I believe that these same questions will be asked by AB at the end of the season. Maybe I am foolish, but I am comfortable that we have the right owner to build this franchise into the kind we all dream about. Time will tell…
Wabe
December 10th, 2012
2:47 pm
why they remove the link to this blog from the Falcons homepage?
couldn’t even find it, had to look through my recent history just to get here.
Chop Buster
December 10th, 2012
2:50 pm
LRD if the coaching staff has to go through tackling fundamentals with a professional football player at this point in his career, then they don’t need to be on this team. Notice how the better defenses are stellar with fundamental tackling and don’t let the opponent go beyond their intial point of contact? I have tackled someone in YEARS but haven’t forgotten how to. This issue to me comes down to lacking discipline.
Chop Buster
December 10th, 2012
2:52 pm
One other thing I thought of with the tackling. When Peters had Cam in his grasp why did our other players just stood around and watch instead of gang tackling this guy? Now I don’t expect anyone to have the answer here, but it’s common knowledge that Cam is a big guy and you need multiple hats on him all the time.
snacktastic
December 10th, 2012
2:52 pm
Somebody: Exactly. The problems we’re seeing with this team are not new. And, as Chop Buster said, Smitty’s responses (verbal and otherwise) are not new.
As pissed off as I am about this loss, it doesn’t matter compared to next week. If the Birds lose against the Giants, you might as well cross your fingers in the playoffs, because those 11 wins will suddenly look really shaky and we’ll have nothing solid to stand on.
The Time is NOW
December 10th, 2012
2:53 pm
Paddy O (9:40 am) – I am also very disappointed with the lack of preparation accomplished during the mini-bye. Absolutely POOR coaching. The team did not come out prepared. Nothing appeared to be tweaked or introduced to give potential playoff foes something to have to prepare for. I am dumbfounded…
The Time is NOW
December 10th, 2012
2:56 pm
Wabe – there is discussion of the missing link here from about 1 pm on. Here is a link to comment to the AJC, if you are so inclined:
http://www.ajc.com/form/contact-contact-us-feedback/
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL THE TRUTH
December 10th, 2012
2:59 pm
I’m truly sold on the “Disconnect Theory” SW’s been preaching bout the last two seasons. TD recognized the leauge was evolving, changing into a pass first leaugue. What did TD do? He went got what Smith needed to compete in the ever changing leauge. Instead of Smith breaking in his new toys, he choose (choosing) to stick with the old ones (Turner) because of the comfort level. I’m not bashing Smith/Kotter, they are coaching the best way they know how, there’s only a few offensive coordinators in the leauge that are capable of utilizing all of our toys on offense, but seriously, neither one of these guys can design routes for our slot receiver, Harry Douglas?
Turns out Koetter may be a one trick pony, he can design screen plays with the best of them.
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL THE TRUTH
December 10th, 2012
3:10 pm
When Peters had Cam in his grasp why did our other players just stood around and watch instead of gang tackling this guy? – CB
Had that same thought CB. Newton and Peters were in a pirouette for about 5 secs…you mean to tell me not one other DLineman could get off a block to assist while Cam N. and Peters were auditioning for a tango contest. C’MON MAN?!?!
Chop Buster
December 10th, 2012
3:19 pm
Somebody…that’s funny (a pirouette) but then it’s not. Shows you these guys don’t play with a high level of intensity and the mindset that no one is going to run or score on us. Of course they will, but the mindset should limit these.
D3
December 10th, 2012
3:24 pm
Wow, ya’ll see this?…………..
http://www.ajc.com/ap/ap/top-news/slumping-ravens-fire-offensive-coordinator-cameron/nTRgL/
This is a team that has won in the postseason. Kind of surprised at this one.
The Time is NOW
December 10th, 2012
3:27 pm
D3 (11:06) – I also thought of Nolan. But then we lose a great DC. His previous stint as a HC was not particularly successful, as I recall. The reality is he probably won’t be our long term DC anyway, cause sooner or later, someone is gonna give him another shot as a HC. Maybe as early as next year…
The Time is NOW
December 10th, 2012
3:30 pm
D3 (11:13 am) – Spot on!
Arno
December 10th, 2012
3:31 pm
I’m hoping Nolan wants to see what he can do with a couple of drafts under his belt. He has been kicked around the NFL long enough. Interesting the Ravens are holding somebody accounable. Do we know for sure that TD is over Smith?
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL THE TRUTH
December 10th, 2012
3:36 pm
Do we know for sure that TD is over Smith?- Arno
Interesting?
The Time is NOW
December 10th, 2012
3:39 pm
Big Lou (12:18) – Your blowout scenario is an intriguing concept…
Chop Buster
December 10th, 2012
3:45 pm
D3 (3:24) – I saw that on ESPN at lunch. Every year is a new year that the team must perform and the coaches can’t rest on their past successes. Was Cam the problem there? Who knows, but Flacco looks really wide-eyed out there most of the time.
Comes down to standards. Some people have high standards and don’t accept mediocricy, others are fine with winning regular season games, and then there are those that have high standards and look for excellence (winning the big games). This is why some fans are fine with the way things are and others demand more from this team.
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL THE TRUTH
December 10th, 2012
3:53 pm
Seems if though the Giants were sharpening another knife with the hopes of gashing us come Sunday. That rookie out of Va-Tech is something serious!!! He’s got blazing speed…and he can run with power. He will be hell to stop on Special Teams…and in the Giants run offense.
I am green with envy…wish we had’em.
D3
December 10th, 2012
3:53 pm
SOMEBODY — Man, me too. It’s like an epiphany hit me yesterday and today. It all finally clicked for me. I still believe that the main disconnect is with Smitty and Smitty alone. TD wanted to go in a more up-tempo, aerial attack (the way the league has been going), Smitty is stuck in old-school, power football with no power back or power OL, and Blank is just obsessed with getting a new stadium built. That Seminole is one smart man.
The Time is NOW
December 10th, 2012
3:55 pm
Big Lou (12:24 pm) – Have to respectfully disagree on this one. I have long been a believer that there is a certain amount of luck involved in winning a championship. So many things beyond talent go into it. Aside from things like major injuries (everybody is dinged up at the end of the year), there are chemistry and momentum issues, including a team having everything click at the right time or running into the only team that can take you out and having them play their best game at the wrong time. In football, a hot QB sure helps.
Therefore, give me a team that consistently has a chance (however meager) to win a championship. That means a team that makes the playoffs, cause those are the only teams that have any chance. Mediocre winning teams have won championships before, even against fabled teams with a championship pedigree who were playing at a dominant level coming in. Sooner or later, if you’re in the playoffs consistently, the odds are good you’ll win. Yes, the Buffalo Bills are the exception. But they were one missed Norwood field goal away from being a champion.
It’s a lot harder to root for a team that consistently has no chance of being a champion. I know this from my years as a Falcons fan.
The Time is NOW
December 10th, 2012
3:58 pm
SOMEBODY – Yeah, Wilson worries me. Bet he worries Nolan and Armstrong, too. Just don’t know if they have the tools to contain him. He’s the kind of RB who especially gives us fits.
The Time is NOW
December 10th, 2012
4:00 pm
D3 – I truly believe AB will turn his attention to getting some answers about the operation of his team whenever the season ends.
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL THE TRUTH
December 10th, 2012
4:01 pm
Yeah D3, Something at the top not quite right. IMO, top meaning with Smith and TD. If they’re not seeing eye2eye…sh!t normally rolls down hill and settles. The end result being a inconsistent Football Team. IMHO.
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL THE TRUTH
December 10th, 2012
4:06 pm
TTisN, That Wilson is a bad Man…
Arno
December 10th, 2012
4:07 pm
Smith and Dimitroff are not playoff rookies. They have been to the championship with other teams and presumably, know what it takes. That’s why I’m having a little trouble with the disconnect theory. And it seems to me that TD has had plenty of time to influence CMS’s old school ways.
The Time is NOW
December 10th, 2012
4:09 pm
Meanwhile at Flowery Branch… (12:36) – Very creative. Some good laughs.
Big Ray
December 10th, 2012
4:10 pm
The AJC needs to get it together. I had to Google this site to get back in.
LRD
December 10th, 2012
4:12 pm
Time.. agree with your recent post, and after finishing a call with my manager in NY (Who is a giants fan) who was saying ” why should anyone be scared of your Falcons right now.. you all have negative momentum going”…
Smitty: You wonder sometimes if he is the reason we do not use the no huddle more often. It takes some of the control away from him, and maybe the control freak in him just cannot let that happen (to the detriment of our Offense).
Against the Giants, I would love for us to get the kick off, come out immediately with Quizz in the backfield and us running the no huddle… I would also like to win the lottery…
Paddy O
December 10th, 2012
4:17 pm
well, I suppose the jekyll and hyde analogy is back on the stove. Ryan threw for 342 yards. almost entirely in the 2nd half. how could we NOT unleash him in the 1st half? If Ryan wants to win and win dominantly, he needs to have a sit down with Koetter & Smith. LEt Ryan run the bleeping offense – in or out of no huddle. Letting our coaching staff call the plays is a recipe for inconsistent play – as shown in about half our games thus far. and yeah, AZ does suck.
The Time is NOW
December 10th, 2012
4:18 pm
Zoomie (12:57) – Maybe I’m blind, but I haven’t seen AB micromanaging the team in quite awhile. I think he has more of the CEO type approach: hire competent people and get out of their way, but communicate expectations and hold the competent people accountable for accomplishing the things that are expected from them. Those who do not produce the desired results get replaced. I think he takes the approach that “I won’t tell you how to do your job, but this is what I expect you to accomplish. If you can’t do that, I’ll find someone who can.”
Big Ray
December 10th, 2012
4:19 pm
The coaching staff more than anyone deserves a big fat F for their game plan yesterday. They had no answer to Cam in the first game and proved they didn’t again yesterday. Running QBs running the option is a new phenomena that teams haven’t shut down before. Maybe I’m being too simplistic, but how hard is it for one defender (say Spoon) take the RB and Biermann take the QB and blow both up everytime they run the option. If we can’t get this problem solved we sure don’t want to face RG3 or Kap from the 49ers who both run the option.
When you don’t run a 3-4 and your 4-3 front is weak, this is what happens.
What kills me is we had a solution to this – we ran Babineaux at DE and ran a big front in a 3-4 hybrid. Whatever happened to that? Oh…it must have gone where the screen game and the no huddle went…into oblivion….
The Time is NOW
December 10th, 2012
4:20 pm
Big Ray – see my short post at 2:56.
Big Ray
December 10th, 2012
4:23 pm
I realize there is some noise about Blank and the new stadium. I understand what the stadium is about, and it ain’t JUST the Falcons. It’s about competing with cities that have more appeal because of what is in the cities themselves.
Atlanta can’t compare to the cultures of some of the other cities. Dallas? They’ve been hosting anything and everything. Atlanta used to be this way, especially in the late 80s and 90s. 1996 Olympics, things like that. This is about hosting a LOT of things. We’re talking the new College Football playoff system. You think Blank and key “pillars” of the Atlanta community (translation: business folks) don’t want some of that?
There is a LOT of money to be made here by those who make money. Blank is one of those guys. This was never really about the Falcons, nor about the people who don’t make money off of these kinds of things.
The rich get richer, you know the rest of the story. It’s why this thing is going forward, despite what us peasants think.
Back to football.
Big Ray
December 10th, 2012
4:24 pm
Time is Now
Thanks!
Wabe
December 10th, 2012
4:27 pm
We’ve been waiting to see exactly how good this team is…
Well, we’ll get our shot about 6 days from now.
The Giants need to win. They’ve got both the Cowboys and Redskins chasing them. So they’ll come to play.
This is a hugeeeeee game from a confidence standpoint. Winning a game like this [and depending on how we play] could propel the confidence of the entire organization. This is just the type of game you need to win and play well in to get on a roll.
How they matchup, how they play, how Ryan plays, how the coaching staff adjusts after the debacle yesterday, that’s all things to look out for this Sunday.
Big Ray
December 10th, 2012
4:29 pm
I still think Arthur Blank is the kind of owner you want for this franchise. We can talk Coaches all day long. But when you start reaching up higher, the conversation gets tougher. Can you judge which folks would be better GMs than the one you have? Owners are pretty cut and dry. They either spend money or they don’t. They either hire professionals, or they don’t (Jerry Jones).
Blank went after a good football mind in the Big Tuna…and got turned down because the Tuna wanted to do something else somewhere else. But he did take the Tuna’s advice, and cherry picked Dimitroff from an organization of repute.
Has Blank made mistakes along the way? Of course. But he’s also made good moves. He learned, and his learning curve is a lot quicker than some of his employees ( I need not name names). I think TD is actually a hard guy to replace.
Mike Smith….I’m not so sure. I’ll leave it at that. He has the rest of the season to do some proving one way or the other. No sense in looking for a replacement until we see what he can do in the completion of year 5.
But I do think he is not utilizing what Dimitroff got him to the max. Not even close to the max.
Big Ray
December 10th, 2012
4:29 pm
Wabe – agreed.
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL THE TRUTH
December 10th, 2012
4:34 pm
Mike Smith can learn a couple of things from Tom Coughlin…and the blowout the Giants handed the Saints.
1). NO MERCY RULE! The Giants never let up on the Saints, KILLER INSTINCT! His football team never let off the gas. IMO, if a team does, it kills momentum in practice, the next game …and in the playoffs.
2). Never say a 3 & 9 team is a “verygood football team”. IMO, shows weakness.
Big Ray
December 10th, 2012
4:38 pm
The Ravens may or may not have made a mistake. We’ll see who they hire to replace their OC.
One thing you can take from that – this is what teams who expect to compete for a Conference Championship and a SB berth. The Ravens are serious about this, they’ve been building and gearing everything towards taking this away from the Steelers and then beating the Patriots.
This is what the Ravens aspire to. They are hell bent on beating the best.
Are we? Do we have our sights set firmly on the Giants, Packers, 49ers? Are we building and shaping this team to compete with and overcome the top teams in the NFC?